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Three Story House
Renovating an historic Memphis house together, three cousins discover that their spectacular failures in love, career, and family provide the foundation for their future happiness in this warm and poignant novel from the author of The Roots of the Olive Tree that is reminiscent of The Postmistress, The Secret Life of Bees, and Kristin Hannah’s novels.
Nearing thirty and trying to avoid the inescapable fact that they have failed to live up to everyone’s expectations and their own aspirations, cousins and childhood best friends Lizzie, Elyse, and Isobel seek respite in an oddly-shaped, three-story house that sits on a bluff sixty feet above the Mississippi.
As they work to restore the almost condemned house, each woman faces uncomfortable truths about their own failings. Lizzie seeks answers to a long-held family secret about her father in her grandmother’s jumble of mementos and the home’s hidden spaces. Elyse’s obsession with an old flame leads her to a harrowing mistake that threatens to destroy her sister’s wedding, and Isobel’s quest for celebrity tempts her to betray confidences in ways that would irreparably damage her two cousins.
Told in three parts from the perspective of each of the women, this sharply observed account of the restoration of a house built out of spite, but filled with memories of love is also an account of friendship and how relying on each others insights and strengths provides the women a way to get what they need instead of what they want.
Nearing thirty and trying to avoid the inescapable fact that they have failed to live up to everyone’s expectations and their own aspirations, cousins and childhood best friends Lizzie, Elyse, and Isobel seek respite in an oddly-shaped, three-story house that sits on a bluff sixty feet above the Mississippi.
As they work to restore the almost condemned house, each woman faces uncomfortable truths about their own failings. Lizzie seeks answers to a long-held family secret about her father in her grandmother’s jumble of mementos and the home’s hidden spaces. Elyse’s obsession with an old flame leads her to a harrowing mistake that threatens to destroy her sister’s wedding, and Isobel’s quest for celebrity tempts her to betray confidences in ways that would irreparably damage her two cousins.
Told in three parts from the perspective of each of the women, this sharply observed account of the restoration of a house built out of spite, but filled with memories of love is also an account of friendship and how relying on each others insights and strengths provides the women a way to get what they need instead of what they want.
416 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2014
93 people are currently reading
1277 people want to read
About the author
Courtney Miller Santo
8 books80 followersCourtney Miller Santo teaches creative writing at the University of Memphis, where she received her MFA. She has a BA in journalism from Washington and Lee University and although born and raised in Portland, Oregon, she’s spent most of her adult life in the South. Her work has appeared or is forthcoming in the Los Angeles Review, Irreantum, Sunstone and Segullah. Her debut novel THE ROOTS OF THE OLIVE TREE will be published this year by William Morrow. For more information please visit www.courtneysanto.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 133 reviews
May 23, 2023
Lizzie ist 26 Jahre alt und Profi-Fußballspielerin. Nach einer Knieverletzung steckt sie in einer Lebenskrise. Da ist es eigentlich gerade passend, dass das alte Haus ihrer Großmutter abgerissen werden soll, denn Lizzie hat nun genug Zeit, sich um das Haus zu kümmern. Sie möchte den Abriss verhindern und beginnt stattdessen, das alte Haus zu sanieren und wieder bewohnbar zu machen. Hilfe und Unterstützung bekommt sie dabei von ihren Cousinen Elyse und Isobel. Bei den Renovierungsarbeiten stößt Lizzie auf allerhand Krimskrams, den ihre Großmutter in ihrem Leben zusammengesammelt hat...
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Mein Leseeindruck:
Leider muss ich sagen, dass mich dieses Buch enttäuscht hat. Ich war so gespannt auf die Geschichte, denn sie klang so vielversprechend, zumal ich alte Familiengeheimnisse sehr spannend finde. Spannung habe ich aber in diesem Buch vergeblich gesucht.
Die drei Hauptprotagonistinnen sind die Cousinen Lizzie, Elyse und Isobel, die alle im gleichen Alter sind. Jede der drei jungen Frauen hat eine ganz eigene Lebensgeschichte. Das Buch ist unterteilt in drei große Abschnitte; jeder Abschnitt handelt vorwiegend von der Geschichte einer der Cousinen.
Dieser Aufbau hat mir durchaus gefallen, und auch die Geschichte an sich ist gar nicht schlecht. Aber große Probleme hatte ich mit dem Erzählstil der Autorin. Der Erzählstil wirkte auf mich farblos; ich konnte mich weder in die Figuren hineinfühlen, noch mich in die Geschichte wirklich vertiefen. Mir fehlte der rote Faden, und die Geschichte kam mir leider oft einfach langatmig vor. Ich hatte keine Freude beim Lesen und wollte nur schnell mit dem Buch fertig werden.
Ich denke, es wird sicherlich viele Leser geben, die diesen - für mich - speziellen Schreibstil sehr mögen werden. Ich konnte mich leider nicht damit anfreunden. Schade!
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Mein Leseeindruck:
Leider muss ich sagen, dass mich dieses Buch enttäuscht hat. Ich war so gespannt auf die Geschichte, denn sie klang so vielversprechend, zumal ich alte Familiengeheimnisse sehr spannend finde. Spannung habe ich aber in diesem Buch vergeblich gesucht.
Die drei Hauptprotagonistinnen sind die Cousinen Lizzie, Elyse und Isobel, die alle im gleichen Alter sind. Jede der drei jungen Frauen hat eine ganz eigene Lebensgeschichte. Das Buch ist unterteilt in drei große Abschnitte; jeder Abschnitt handelt vorwiegend von der Geschichte einer der Cousinen.
Dieser Aufbau hat mir durchaus gefallen, und auch die Geschichte an sich ist gar nicht schlecht. Aber große Probleme hatte ich mit dem Erzählstil der Autorin. Der Erzählstil wirkte auf mich farblos; ich konnte mich weder in die Figuren hineinfühlen, noch mich in die Geschichte wirklich vertiefen. Mir fehlte der rote Faden, und die Geschichte kam mir leider oft einfach langatmig vor. Ich hatte keine Freude beim Lesen und wollte nur schnell mit dem Buch fertig werden.
Ich denke, es wird sicherlich viele Leser geben, die diesen - für mich - speziellen Schreibstil sehr mögen werden. Ich konnte mich leider nicht damit anfreunden. Schade!
September 2, 2014
Three Story House ended up just being an OK read for me. The story was interesting, but it just fell short. The story told through the eyes of the three cousins each in their own section instead of alternating throughout the book. I'm not sure this format worked for me because I felt like I missed out on the other characters perspective.
I guess I wanted more out of it. I never really ended up connecting with any of the characters or their stories. I felt kind of like I was reading an outline of the story and not the meat. For instance, we never got to see any of the romance between the characters. Both Lizzie and Isobel find men and we are just kind of told how things are progressing almost as an after thought. That was weird for me. As I said, I wanted more. The reveal about who Lizzie's father was came out of nowhere and was too creepy for words. I don't fault her for her reaction.
I guess I wanted more out of it. I never really ended up connecting with any of the characters or their stories. I felt kind of like I was reading an outline of the story and not the meat. For instance, we never got to see any of the romance between the characters. Both Lizzie and Isobel find men and we are just kind of told how things are progressing almost as an after thought. That was weird for me. As I said, I wanted more. The reveal about who Lizzie's father was came out of nowhere and was too creepy for words. I don't fault her for her reaction.
July 13, 2015
This book was crap. There will be spoilers because I disliked the story so much that I don't care to preserve it.
The story is about three cousins - Lizzie the soccer player, Isobel the actress, and Elyse the fat one. Yes, that is the big trait that they give Elyse. And she's not fat, she's pudgy and likes to bake. Way to go on personality there. These three cousins have been friends for life and when all three of their lives are at a crisis at the same time, they go to Memphis to restore a house and fix everything.
I felt like the author didn't really like her characters. She made little attempt to have them be likeable and she didn't go too deep into their emotions. She divided the story into three parts, so that you could focus on each girl. In Lizzie's section she is struggling with a soccer injury that could and does end her career. She's extremely focused on making the olympic soccer team. When, in a later section, you find out she doesn't make it, that's all you know. You don't know if she was upset, or if she had accepted her fate by then or what.
And Isobel, in order to try and spruce up her career, is having a reality crew film the three of them fixing up the house. The crew, in order to spice up ratings, keeps throwing weird situations at them and surprising them with weird guests, and everything. And someone will get mad...for a paragraph. And then it's just not talked about. It's not resolved. It's just...there. Isobel throws them out finally and nobody really says anything. Don't worry. She got a long great with the cameraman and he comes back with a great show idea that will help Isobel revive her career. Problem solved. No emotion.
And poor old Elyse is hiding out because the man she loves is marrying her sister. Turns out they were childhood friends and she was just waiting until one day he and her sister come into the living room and announce they're getting married. WHAT?! When she finally has the big confrontation with the guy, he has the perfectly logical explanation that he loves Elyse like a friend, but he LOVES her sister. Okay, fine. I can roll with that. But where's the big tantrum of "WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME YOU WERE DATING MY SISTER? WHY DIDN'T SHE TELL ME?" I feel like these are logical questions. If my sister showed up with her fiancee that none of us knew about, I wouldn't cut down my prize roses for the centerpieces (which the mom does). I would have a serious talk about open communication.
Idiots! Also, while fixing up the house, the sisters discover some secrets. Such as...incest! Yes, a niece married her uncle. This is literally how the book puts it "and the three sat around the phone while aunt Anne related the story as she knew it." And that's all the reader gets to know. Seriously. Why bring it up if you weren't going to talk about it?
I don't know if the author walked around so long with the story in her head that she forgot she hadn't actually transcribed it to paper, or if she would just try to throw in a quirk once in a while but have no idea where to go with it.
Don't read this book.
The story is about three cousins - Lizzie the soccer player, Isobel the actress, and Elyse the fat one. Yes, that is the big trait that they give Elyse. And she's not fat, she's pudgy and likes to bake. Way to go on personality there. These three cousins have been friends for life and when all three of their lives are at a crisis at the same time, they go to Memphis to restore a house and fix everything.
I felt like the author didn't really like her characters. She made little attempt to have them be likeable and she didn't go too deep into their emotions. She divided the story into three parts, so that you could focus on each girl. In Lizzie's section she is struggling with a soccer injury that could and does end her career. She's extremely focused on making the olympic soccer team. When, in a later section, you find out she doesn't make it, that's all you know. You don't know if she was upset, or if she had accepted her fate by then or what.
And Isobel, in order to try and spruce up her career, is having a reality crew film the three of them fixing up the house. The crew, in order to spice up ratings, keeps throwing weird situations at them and surprising them with weird guests, and everything. And someone will get mad...for a paragraph. And then it's just not talked about. It's not resolved. It's just...there. Isobel throws them out finally and nobody really says anything. Don't worry. She got a long great with the cameraman and he comes back with a great show idea that will help Isobel revive her career. Problem solved. No emotion.
And poor old Elyse is hiding out because the man she loves is marrying her sister. Turns out they were childhood friends and she was just waiting until one day he and her sister come into the living room and announce they're getting married. WHAT?! When she finally has the big confrontation with the guy, he has the perfectly logical explanation that he loves Elyse like a friend, but he LOVES her sister. Okay, fine. I can roll with that. But where's the big tantrum of "WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME YOU WERE DATING MY SISTER? WHY DIDN'T SHE TELL ME?" I feel like these are logical questions. If my sister showed up with her fiancee that none of us knew about, I wouldn't cut down my prize roses for the centerpieces (which the mom does). I would have a serious talk about open communication.
Idiots! Also, while fixing up the house, the sisters discover some secrets. Such as...incest! Yes, a niece married her uncle. This is literally how the book puts it "and the three sat around the phone while aunt Anne related the story as she knew it." And that's all the reader gets to know. Seriously. Why bring it up if you weren't going to talk about it?
I don't know if the author walked around so long with the story in her head that she forgot she hadn't actually transcribed it to paper, or if she would just try to throw in a quirk once in a while but have no idea where to go with it.
Don't read this book.
February 8, 2015
I don't understand why this book has so many decent reviews. It reads like a really good short story from a high school English class. (Don't get me wrong, those can be great, but most are a far cry from being publishable.) I can't tell if this is supposed to be chick lit or just really bad literature. I don't think I would have rated it as poorly if I hadn't been expecting so much more. Characters - blah. Storyline - eh. The whole thing was just kind of bland. There are better books out there.
August 13, 2014
Review also found at http://kristineandterri.blogspot.ca/2...
I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher William Morrow via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. The expected publication date is August 19, 2014.
This is the story of Lizzie, Elyse and Isobel as they come together to renovate a house and simultaneously attempt to put the pieces of their lives together. I have to give kudos to the author for the appropriately named title of the story. It is told in three stories giving a perspective to each of the cousins. Hence Three story house...well done.
This was a nice read where I enjoyed some of the characters more than others. For example I enjoyed Lizzie and her determination to reach her goals. I also enjoyed watching her struggle with the realization that these goals may be out of her reach. On the flip side I felt that Elyse was a little too desperate to truly identify with. Isobel fell somewhere in between.
While the story was good I did find that there were some glitches in the execution of the story. Many times the transitions did not work and I had to re-read portions of the book to find out what was going on. Also the majority of the romance happens "off-screen" which left me wondering how they had progressed. Lastly I struggled with the character of Benny. I found that he was a surplus character that should have had more involvement in the outcome of the story. Although I knew he wasn't what the reader is led to believe he was (no spoilers here I promise) he was present too much in the story to not have a greater significance to the storyline.
This story entertained me. If you can overlook the inconsistencies in the story and the fact that everything seems to only touch the surface then I say read it.
I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher William Morrow via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. The expected publication date is August 19, 2014.
This is the story of Lizzie, Elyse and Isobel as they come together to renovate a house and simultaneously attempt to put the pieces of their lives together. I have to give kudos to the author for the appropriately named title of the story. It is told in three stories giving a perspective to each of the cousins. Hence Three story house...well done.
This was a nice read where I enjoyed some of the characters more than others. For example I enjoyed Lizzie and her determination to reach her goals. I also enjoyed watching her struggle with the realization that these goals may be out of her reach. On the flip side I felt that Elyse was a little too desperate to truly identify with. Isobel fell somewhere in between.
While the story was good I did find that there were some glitches in the execution of the story. Many times the transitions did not work and I had to re-read portions of the book to find out what was going on. Also the majority of the romance happens "off-screen" which left me wondering how they had progressed. Lastly I struggled with the character of Benny. I found that he was a surplus character that should have had more involvement in the outcome of the story. Although I knew he wasn't what the reader is led to believe he was (no spoilers here I promise) he was present too much in the story to not have a greater significance to the storyline.
This story entertained me. If you can overlook the inconsistencies in the story and the fact that everything seems to only touch the surface then I say read it.
September 6, 2014
Title...Three Story House
Author...Courtney Miller Santo
My " in a nutshell" summary...
Lizzie, Elyse, Isobel...cousins...or triplins...the family name for them...all have personal issues that need to be dealt with.
My thoughts after reading this book...
Lizzie...a "wannabe" Olympic soccer player with a major knee injury...Isobel...former child actress who is not sure what she wants to do...Elyse...failed inn owner in love with her sister's husband...these are women with issues! They are cousins who take a time out in their lives to connect, heal and fix up Lizzie's grandmother's nearly condemned house in Memphis. The house has major problems and seems to hold many secrets. The big secret is who is Lizzie's father. This is something that her mother has always refused to talk about.
What I loved about this book...
I enjoyed the cousins and the way they connected and worked together. I did not get the significance of the title until I got to the second story...which was Elyse's story...then I "got" it! Also...I love the way this author does family life...I felt as though I knew the key players really well!
What I did not love about this book...
I found the cousins and their issues just a teensie bit dull at times...I think I wanted them to have more scandalous issues than they did. Plus...once we find out who Lizzie's father is...it just doesn't truly seem like that big of a deal...her mother should have told her...and Lizzie should have asked more questions.
Final thoughts...
Would this be a good choice for you...potential reader?
I started this book with such high hopes...the writing is good...the house stuff is interesting...the cousins personalities unique enough but I just did not connect with these characters as much as I needed to in order to really love this book. It's nothing I can actually pinpoint...just sort of a disconnect on my part.
Author...Courtney Miller Santo
My " in a nutshell" summary...
Lizzie, Elyse, Isobel...cousins...or triplins...the family name for them...all have personal issues that need to be dealt with.
My thoughts after reading this book...
Lizzie...a "wannabe" Olympic soccer player with a major knee injury...Isobel...former child actress who is not sure what she wants to do...Elyse...failed inn owner in love with her sister's husband...these are women with issues! They are cousins who take a time out in their lives to connect, heal and fix up Lizzie's grandmother's nearly condemned house in Memphis. The house has major problems and seems to hold many secrets. The big secret is who is Lizzie's father. This is something that her mother has always refused to talk about.
What I loved about this book...
I enjoyed the cousins and the way they connected and worked together. I did not get the significance of the title until I got to the second story...which was Elyse's story...then I "got" it! Also...I love the way this author does family life...I felt as though I knew the key players really well!
What I did not love about this book...
I found the cousins and their issues just a teensie bit dull at times...I think I wanted them to have more scandalous issues than they did. Plus...once we find out who Lizzie's father is...it just doesn't truly seem like that big of a deal...her mother should have told her...and Lizzie should have asked more questions.
Final thoughts...
Would this be a good choice for you...potential reader?
I started this book with such high hopes...the writing is good...the house stuff is interesting...the cousins personalities unique enough but I just did not connect with these characters as much as I needed to in order to really love this book. It's nothing I can actually pinpoint...just sort of a disconnect on my part.
April 11, 2015
Hated it. Found the writing laborious and tedious. Thought the characters were insipid and uninteresting. I kept going thinking it would get better, but each story was more implausible than the last. If the author teaches writing, I fear for her students.
August 19, 2014
Spite House, a historic landmark in Memphis, Tennessee and the house where Lizzie spent much of her childhood, has fallen into grave disrepair. In the time since her grandmother passed away the house was apparently abandoned and left to rot. Now the city has stepped in and Lizzie and her mother are in danger of losing it unless it can be fixed to code. Enter Lizzie's cousins Elyse and Isobel.
Best of friends since Lizzie's mother married into the family, the three girls are as close as siblings. Together they'll work to fix Spite House and uncover its secrets. But the renovations also offer each of them a chance to fix their own lives as well. Lizzie, who dreams of a chance at the Olympics while recovering from her latest surgery hopes the house will finally give her the opportunity to learn about her father. Elyse is using Spite House as a chance to escape her sister's looming marriage - a marriage to the man Elyse has been in love with much of her own life. And Isobel has always dreamed of recapturing the attention and celebrity she had as a child. For her Spite House might prove to be exactly what she's looking for.
As with her debut, The Roots of the Olive Tree, Courtney Miller Santo once again offers up something of a family saga. This time it's one year in the life of three cousins, each on the brink of thirty and each unsure what to do next in life.
The book is split into three sections, each piece told from one of the girls' viewpoints. This is a format I usually enjoy quite a bit but I'm not sure that it was the best option here in Three Story House. First, the house itself was of the most interest to me. Spite House - there's a story there! Unfortunately it's pushed to the background and only generally glossed over. The girls never really became fully developed or fleshed out either. Sadly I never really felt like I was seeing anything beyond their surface stories - I never felt like I was really getting to know any of them and ended up having quite a hard time connecting with them and becoming invested in their stories.
Best of friends since Lizzie's mother married into the family, the three girls are as close as siblings. Together they'll work to fix Spite House and uncover its secrets. But the renovations also offer each of them a chance to fix their own lives as well. Lizzie, who dreams of a chance at the Olympics while recovering from her latest surgery hopes the house will finally give her the opportunity to learn about her father. Elyse is using Spite House as a chance to escape her sister's looming marriage - a marriage to the man Elyse has been in love with much of her own life. And Isobel has always dreamed of recapturing the attention and celebrity she had as a child. For her Spite House might prove to be exactly what she's looking for.
As with her debut, The Roots of the Olive Tree, Courtney Miller Santo once again offers up something of a family saga. This time it's one year in the life of three cousins, each on the brink of thirty and each unsure what to do next in life.
The book is split into three sections, each piece told from one of the girls' viewpoints. This is a format I usually enjoy quite a bit but I'm not sure that it was the best option here in Three Story House. First, the house itself was of the most interest to me. Spite House - there's a story there! Unfortunately it's pushed to the background and only generally glossed over. The girls never really became fully developed or fleshed out either. Sadly I never really felt like I was seeing anything beyond their surface stories - I never felt like I was really getting to know any of them and ended up having quite a hard time connecting with them and becoming invested in their stories.
October 16, 2014
It took me two weeks to finish this book. Maybe longer. A book that would have typically taken me a day or two. I was picking up other books and reading them. I wasn't on a reading hiatus. It was probably a 1.5 though. The story of Lizzie, Isobel, and Elyse opens as Lizzie, her mother and "step father" are driving to meet her step dads family for the first time. Isobel and Elyse are her age. They are immediately drawn to each other. That starts their friendship. I can't really put into words what I disliked about this book. The way it was written. It was split into three parts. One for each point of view. That was fine. I don't have a problem with books written that way. But, I don't even feel like the reader is given a lot of information on who they are reading about. Then, at certain points it's written like there are things you should know. But, don't. I guess there's no cohesion. I didn't care about the characters. Then, there were things (like Lizzie's relationship with TJ, her teenage soccer team, her relationship with her parents, Isobel's relationship with Tom, Elyse's feeling for Landon, etc.) that are left unresolved. The biggest question in the story is who Lizzie's dad was. I wasn't even surprised when I found out. The storyline with Benny was unnecessary. But, I guess a little racism and alcoholism spiced things up. I can't say I wouldn't recommend. It might be great to someone else.
September 1, 2016
Much like in her first book (The Roots of the Olive Tree), Courtney Santo has created lush, vibrant, REALISTIC family dynamics that ring true. From the point you meet the three cousins Lizzy, Elyse, and Isobel as children (affectionately known by their family as the triplets+cousins - the Triplins), their relationship is honest and authentic. There is no saccharine sweet fictional familial love here - they fight and squabble just as real cousins, but their deep bond to one another is always evident.
The book is cleverly crafted, following each cousin through her own story as together they renovate the Spite House built high on a bluff overlooking the Mississippi. As they work through the highs and mostly lows of making the house habitable, story by story, each cousin also goes through a personal renovation as life challenges them in myriad ways. The family secrets they uncover in the process only serve to bind them closer together.
The writing was able to do what only the best of books can do, and that is sweep me away to where I was totally involved in the story. I felt their joy and success as keenly as I did their disappointments and mistakes. I also enjoyed the love letter to Memphis written between each line of the novel, as much like the author, Memphis is my adopted home.
The book is cleverly crafted, following each cousin through her own story as together they renovate the Spite House built high on a bluff overlooking the Mississippi. As they work through the highs and mostly lows of making the house habitable, story by story, each cousin also goes through a personal renovation as life challenges them in myriad ways. The family secrets they uncover in the process only serve to bind them closer together.
The writing was able to do what only the best of books can do, and that is sweep me away to where I was totally involved in the story. I felt their joy and success as keenly as I did their disappointments and mistakes. I also enjoyed the love letter to Memphis written between each line of the novel, as much like the author, Memphis is my adopted home.
August 31, 2014
3.5 stars
This book is from Bookreporter.com, a delightful site for booklovers.
The title is a pun and it sets the tone right away. Not only is the story about a three story house called the Spite House but the different stories of three cousins who come together to save the house. It's a lovely story for a hot day when you want something light and fun.
Lizzie is a star soccer player whose career is winding up due to injuries. Isobel is a former child actor who has not found successful film career as an adult. Elyse, the weakest character as far as I am concerned, has not found her way in life. At the end of their 20's they are have to reevaluate their life's directions so they come together to save Lizzie's grandmother's house in Memphis.
I loved the fact that they are cousins. It's a relationship that's not explored very much. I have three female cousins and they are so special to me that I enjoyed this book that much more. It's also about their relationships with their parents that's not unexpected. It's in your 20's that you redefine that relationship.
I recommend this book when you're in the mood for a light, upbeat read. I had a lot of fun reading it.
This book is from Bookreporter.com, a delightful site for booklovers.
The title is a pun and it sets the tone right away. Not only is the story about a three story house called the Spite House but the different stories of three cousins who come together to save the house. It's a lovely story for a hot day when you want something light and fun.
Lizzie is a star soccer player whose career is winding up due to injuries. Isobel is a former child actor who has not found successful film career as an adult. Elyse, the weakest character as far as I am concerned, has not found her way in life. At the end of their 20's they are have to reevaluate their life's directions so they come together to save Lizzie's grandmother's house in Memphis.
I loved the fact that they are cousins. It's a relationship that's not explored very much. I have three female cousins and they are so special to me that I enjoyed this book that much more. It's also about their relationships with their parents that's not unexpected. It's in your 20's that you redefine that relationship.
I recommend this book when you're in the mood for a light, upbeat read. I had a lot of fun reading it.
October 15, 2018
It is a rare event that I don’t finish a book, given over as I am to sticking it out and following the story, even if I don’t totally enjoy it. This time, however, I am not investing.
The story sounds good and has lots of potential but the writing lacks any real feeling and is bland, boring and impersonal. The three girls (women) that the book centers around are lacking depth and personalities and seem to be simply cardboard cutouts of generic ideas and not worth even attempting to engage with.
I could write more but even my time worth on this review seems to be wasted and is irritating me. Not worth the read I’m afraid.
The story sounds good and has lots of potential but the writing lacks any real feeling and is bland, boring and impersonal. The three girls (women) that the book centers around are lacking depth and personalities and seem to be simply cardboard cutouts of generic ideas and not worth even attempting to engage with.
I could write more but even my time worth on this review seems to be wasted and is irritating me. Not worth the read I’m afraid.
August 3, 2014
I would call this smart chick lit - it's very clever in that each cousin narrates a section (giving more meaning to the title. I also loved the portrayal of the cousin relationship - which I feel is a very special relationship. There's some light romance and suspense and it's a bit of a coming of age novel for these women in their twenties. I liked how it went back and forth. A very satisfying beach read.
October 20, 2015
Wat een draak van een boek. De recensie staat nu online: http://bookswithabeautychick.blogspot...
February 15, 2023
This was an ok book. The conflicts in the book didn't really seem to be much, and were almost kinda forced. In the end I wanted more light shed on what I thought were the more interesting parts of the girls lives instead of what we did end up getting which seemed like a luke warm ending without much development going on.
November 7, 2015
I lived in Nashville for my first twenty-five years but I've never been to Memphis. Almost drove through it once on my way to Jackson, MS but I ended up taking the bypass. All the time I lived there, we looked down on Memphis, who once lorded it over Nashville as the bigger and more famous town. Now that I live in a town that is the biggest in its state but not the capitol and therefore doesn't get its share of funding, I am more sympathetic to Memphis. Also, I have lived in a boom town and Nashville has become one as well in my absence, and I am drawn more to the older, shabbier cities, with more history and culture, rather than the shiny new cities (although I know, I live in Charlotte which is not the type of town I say I want to live in but it has a lot of offsetting benefits.)
In this novel, three cousins (well, two cousins and a step-cousin) move in together to renovate the quirky house built by the grandfather of one of the women, Lizzie. All three are going through rough times and they have always fallen back on each other for strength in times of trouble. Lizzie has a knee injury which might be the one that finally ruins her professional soccer career and denies her her dreams of Olympic gold. Elyse is in love with a childhood friend who has recently announced his engagement... to Elyse's younger, prettier sister. Isobel, once a child star on a sitcom (I'm picturing Tina Yothers from Family Ties), has been unsuccessful in restarting her acting career as an adult. The book is told in three parts or "stories," as each of the women faces and deals with her crisis. I am not a big fan of this type of shifting narration, but it did mostly work here (Lizzie and Elyse's voices were much stronger than Isobel's, and their emotions much more understandable.) It is interesting to see in this type of narration, how the author wraps up the storylines of the first two narrators within their sections, but then how she extends those and how she continues to keep the reader invested in them without the same level of knowledge we had before, through to the end. It's a shame she ended with the weakest of the three characters, as that didn't leave the very best impression, but the book still held up and was entertaining throughout.
The house in the book is based on real "spite houses" which I would love to see in person one day. They look hilarious in pictures and I can understand the motivation behind them (although the ones that are built to block another's view just seem to put the owners in even closer quarters with the hated neighbors so those are confusing. This is one where someone inherited an awkward piece of land and a sibling was trying to force them to sell it by making it an unusable shape and size.) One day I'd also like to get to Memphis. Meanwhile, it was excellent to read a book about my part of the country that doesn't make fun of the South nor trade on stereotypes and cliches. It acknowledges that despite its Elvis connections and such, Memphis is just another big city, not solely a kitchy tourist trap. In that regard, it's an excellent addition to Southern lit.
In this novel, three cousins (well, two cousins and a step-cousin) move in together to renovate the quirky house built by the grandfather of one of the women, Lizzie. All three are going through rough times and they have always fallen back on each other for strength in times of trouble. Lizzie has a knee injury which might be the one that finally ruins her professional soccer career and denies her her dreams of Olympic gold. Elyse is in love with a childhood friend who has recently announced his engagement... to Elyse's younger, prettier sister. Isobel, once a child star on a sitcom (I'm picturing Tina Yothers from Family Ties), has been unsuccessful in restarting her acting career as an adult. The book is told in three parts or "stories," as each of the women faces and deals with her crisis. I am not a big fan of this type of shifting narration, but it did mostly work here (Lizzie and Elyse's voices were much stronger than Isobel's, and their emotions much more understandable.) It is interesting to see in this type of narration, how the author wraps up the storylines of the first two narrators within their sections, but then how she extends those and how she continues to keep the reader invested in them without the same level of knowledge we had before, through to the end. It's a shame she ended with the weakest of the three characters, as that didn't leave the very best impression, but the book still held up and was entertaining throughout.
The house in the book is based on real "spite houses" which I would love to see in person one day. They look hilarious in pictures and I can understand the motivation behind them (although the ones that are built to block another's view just seem to put the owners in even closer quarters with the hated neighbors so those are confusing. This is one where someone inherited an awkward piece of land and a sibling was trying to force them to sell it by making it an unusable shape and size.) One day I'd also like to get to Memphis. Meanwhile, it was excellent to read a book about my part of the country that doesn't make fun of the South nor trade on stereotypes and cliches. It acknowledges that despite its Elvis connections and such, Memphis is just another big city, not solely a kitchy tourist trap. In that regard, it's an excellent addition to Southern lit.
November 9, 2015
The three girls met in 1993, at Silver Beach, Massachusetts. Lizzie Linwood, as the only child of an only child, was improbably now related to these two girls because of her mother’s marriage to Jim when she was seven years old.
They formed a unique connection, these three unexpected cousins, all born during the same month and year. Elyse and Isobel were full of questions for Lizzie, about her life and her dad. But Lizzie, who had lived only with her mother and grandmother in her Grandmother Mellie’s house in Memphis, had no knowledge of her father. Not his name, who he was, or what had happened to him. This fact of her life would haunt her.
Fast forward to November 2011, in Los Angeles, where Lizzie and Isobel have been living in their adulthood, and to a phone call that will take the two of them, joined also by Elyse, back to Memphis and a crumbling, condemned house. The three story house that had been home to Lizzie, and which needed major repairs, rested on a hill overlooking the Mississippi River, and would take them out of their real lives during its restoration. During the process, the house would come to symbolize all of their own failings. Struggling to overcome the challenges they will each discover truths about themselves and what they must do next.
Isobel had starred in a TV show in childhood, and now seeks to find her place in the industry via a reality show during the restoration. Elyse is trying to overcome her obsession with her old lover who is now going to marry her sister. And Lizzie, an athlete, is recovering from her third knee surgery, and wondering if she can ever play soccer again.
Three Story House took place mostly in Memphis during the restoration, but also flipped back and forth in time, revealing significant moments in the lives of the women, now almost thirty.
Divided into three sections, the story focused on each young woman, and I found parts of it fascinating. Within the walls of the old house were clues that could be sorted and assembled to point to some of the answers.
Strange and somewhat disconnected characters filled out the canvas, all having something to do with the past, or with the restoration. While the story dragged for me at times, in the end, there was a satisfactory resolution for each of them, in a sense; however, the revelations felt a little like a balloon that has gone flat. A lot of furor over nothing much. 3.5 stars.
They formed a unique connection, these three unexpected cousins, all born during the same month and year. Elyse and Isobel were full of questions for Lizzie, about her life and her dad. But Lizzie, who had lived only with her mother and grandmother in her Grandmother Mellie’s house in Memphis, had no knowledge of her father. Not his name, who he was, or what had happened to him. This fact of her life would haunt her.
Fast forward to November 2011, in Los Angeles, where Lizzie and Isobel have been living in their adulthood, and to a phone call that will take the two of them, joined also by Elyse, back to Memphis and a crumbling, condemned house. The three story house that had been home to Lizzie, and which needed major repairs, rested on a hill overlooking the Mississippi River, and would take them out of their real lives during its restoration. During the process, the house would come to symbolize all of their own failings. Struggling to overcome the challenges they will each discover truths about themselves and what they must do next.
Isobel had starred in a TV show in childhood, and now seeks to find her place in the industry via a reality show during the restoration. Elyse is trying to overcome her obsession with her old lover who is now going to marry her sister. And Lizzie, an athlete, is recovering from her third knee surgery, and wondering if she can ever play soccer again.
Three Story House took place mostly in Memphis during the restoration, but also flipped back and forth in time, revealing significant moments in the lives of the women, now almost thirty.
Divided into three sections, the story focused on each young woman, and I found parts of it fascinating. Within the walls of the old house were clues that could be sorted and assembled to point to some of the answers.
Strange and somewhat disconnected characters filled out the canvas, all having something to do with the past, or with the restoration. While the story dragged for me at times, in the end, there was a satisfactory resolution for each of them, in a sense; however, the revelations felt a little like a balloon that has gone flat. A lot of furor over nothing much. 3.5 stars.
January 17, 2020
A slog to get through, I considered giving up many times. None of the relationships seemed very authentic, and none of the characters were that like able. The author spends too much time on frilly prose trying to sound poetic, and not enough time on the actual dialogue between characters. None of the relationships had any depth, and I couldn’t even be sure if Lizzie even liked T.J., so the ending felt like a lame movie ending trying to wrap everything up sweetly. The “big reveal” of who Lizzie’s father was ended up being wrapped up in three pages...there was literally more time devoted to the description of the lotus floor. Which, speaking of, didn’t they say it wouldn’t be salvageable at some point? And then it magically was? Too bad I don’t care enough to go back through the almost FOUR HUNDRED pages of this book to look for that plot point. Shmeh.
It felt like there were so many extra details making the book longer than it needed to be. So many questions left unanswered. Why did Lizzie’s mother write her diary in such a peculiar way? Why did her grandmother tell Lizzie he could have the house? Why did he act so strangely toward them? What was the whole story between Mellie and her uncle? This is only explained with one sentence - “then she told them the story”, the literary equivalent to a foggy fade out with harp music in a bad TV movie. And the whole Elyse/Landon storyline was so anti climactic.
It felt like there were so many extra details making the book longer than it needed to be. So many questions left unanswered. Why did Lizzie’s mother write her diary in such a peculiar way? Why did her grandmother tell Lizzie he could have the house? Why did he act so strangely toward them? What was the whole story between Mellie and her uncle? This is only explained with one sentence - “then she told them the story”, the literary equivalent to a foggy fade out with harp music in a bad TV movie. And the whole Elyse/Landon storyline was so anti climactic.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 16, 2019
I've heard great things about this tale of three cousins and the old, dilapidated house left by Grandmother. I did feel it had a great deal of potential, too. However, it just moved so slowly and took so long to get to anything interesting, I confess, I gave up on page 128. It's the first time in my life I've ever been able to walk away from a novel, but life is short and there are far too many bookls I want to read. I do feel sure I will get back to it at some point, but right now, I'm sorry, but I cannot recommend it. It's slated for Hollywood though so perhaps you'll get your taste at the movies. I generally prefer books to films, so I suspect I'll red it before I see it.
May 21, 2014
I liked this book. It's essentially a family story of Lizzie, Elyse and Isobel, three cousins who move to Memphis to renovate Lizzie's grandmother's house. Lizzie is an Olympic soccer player who is recovering from an ACL injury. Elyse and Isobel are also at loose ends and the three girls, all in their 30's spend a year renovating the deteriorating old home. The three all find peace with their families, a love interest and the ability to move on with their lives. The interaction between these three cousins is a great moving story.
Read
June 8, 2016I got this book from the library and then put it in my bag with a cup of home made soup which spilled all over it ruining it. Because I am a decent person I fessed up to the library and they said I could either replace it or pay for it. So I bought a copy off ebay and took it into the library but they said it wasn't in good enough condition so I paid for it. Then read the one that I'd bought off ebay.
December 19, 2021
This really wasn't a book for me ... but I kept reading hoping I'd find something that grabbed me. I really didn't. I found the lives of the characters confusing, both history and present ... and they just didn't seem to have the depth to be "real". I did however like the descriptions of Memphis, the Mississippi views and the quirky-ness of the house. I think it would make a great series on The CW network, but there's not much I enjoy there.
October 8, 2014
Really enjoyed this sophomore effort by fellow Memphian (and friend), Courtney Santo. Its characters are well constructed and interesting, the plot tightly wound, and the writing downright lovely. Well done.
June 28, 2016
Dit boek omvat 3 delen, in ieder deel volgen we één van de drie nichtjes die betrokken zijn bij de renovatie van hun grootmoeder's huis.
Het boek leest vlot maar ontbreekt mij wat aan spanning.
Zeker niet slecht geschreven maar de verhaallijn geeft me geen Waauw gevoel.
Het boek leest vlot maar ontbreekt mij wat aan spanning.
Zeker niet slecht geschreven maar de verhaallijn geeft me geen Waauw gevoel.
January 22, 2019
I loved this book! The characters were intriguing and their relationship to one another was well developed and explored. I loved the balance between the focus on the house, their lives, and their histories. Definitely recommend!
December 13, 2022
I really enjoyed the details of the home renovation / looking through all the things left in the house -- what the summary never mentions is that it's a "Spite House," built with very unusual architecture to make use of a wedge of land that appeared unsuitable for a house, and its history is more fascinating than anything in the present day. I found myself wishing for more of these aspects, and not really caring about the cousins and their drama, who are bland at best and mostly just annoying.
The only other point of interest is that it seems this book is connected to her debut (The Roots of the Olive Tree); Elyse and Isobel are among the descendants of this family and matriarch Anna makes a cameo appearance, so perhaps a nice treat if you liked that one. I haven't read that book, so there may be other Easter Egg connections to the family history I missed. I suspect this is one of those books where if you read it a 2nd time, you'll see a lot of subtle foreshadowing in a whole new light and gain a richer understanding of the story and family overall; unfortunately, it wasn't interesting enough the first time around to compel a reread.
Honestly, my favorite part of the book is the short story included at the end which describes the origin of the house being built and how Mellie (Lizzie's grandmother) ended up living in it.
The only other point of interest is that it seems this book is connected to her debut (The Roots of the Olive Tree); Elyse and Isobel are among the descendants of this family and matriarch Anna makes a cameo appearance, so perhaps a nice treat if you liked that one. I haven't read that book, so there may be other Easter Egg connections to the family history I missed. I suspect this is one of those books where if you read it a 2nd time, you'll see a lot of subtle foreshadowing in a whole new light and gain a richer understanding of the story and family overall; unfortunately, it wasn't interesting enough the first time around to compel a reread.
Honestly, my favorite part of the book is the short story included at the end which describes the origin of the house being built and how Mellie (Lizzie's grandmother) ended up living in it.
April 10, 2021
I love reading stories about women who are friends, or become friends because of the situation they find themselves in, and who lean on each other to help get through the tough times. Three Story House is such a story.
These three women, who are thrown together as young girls and became fast friends, all come together when Lizzie has to go back home to try and save the family home. While she is there, can she uncover her mother's secret and find out who her father really is? Her best friends, who also happen to be her cousins, Elyse and Isobel, join her there, lending her both physical and moral support. But it ends up that they are all there offering support to each other.
The story is written in three parts, with each part being the story of, and told in the voice of, one of the main characters. The Triplins, as the three girls as a group are called, each have their own issues to work through and they discover they are right where they need to be, working on the house, and working on their lives.
I absolutely loved Courtney's first book The Roots of the Olive Tree when I read it and I loved that she connected that story to this one. It made me want to go back and read it all over again.
Once again, Courtney has written a story that I will remember and think about long after I leave that world. It is a great thing that she continues to write such amazing and beautiful stories.
These three women, who are thrown together as young girls and became fast friends, all come together when Lizzie has to go back home to try and save the family home. While she is there, can she uncover her mother's secret and find out who her father really is? Her best friends, who also happen to be her cousins, Elyse and Isobel, join her there, lending her both physical and moral support. But it ends up that they are all there offering support to each other.
The story is written in three parts, with each part being the story of, and told in the voice of, one of the main characters. The Triplins, as the three girls as a group are called, each have their own issues to work through and they discover they are right where they need to be, working on the house, and working on their lives.
I absolutely loved Courtney's first book The Roots of the Olive Tree when I read it and I loved that she connected that story to this one. It made me want to go back and read it all over again.
Once again, Courtney has written a story that I will remember and think about long after I leave that world. It is a great thing that she continues to write such amazing and beautiful stories.
January 11, 2025
4 stars. A friend lent me her copy of this book as she thought I would enjoy the read and I did. Three cousins who have been like sisters, are all heading towards thirty. They come back to the oddly shaped house, called The Spite House, to try to help the cousin whose Grandmother's house it was, to save the house, which has been condemned. Lizzie's parents and family are all in Russia on a mission from their church and have asked her to do what needs to be done. It's a good time for the three gals to help each other and to do the usual assessment unmarried women do when they are looking hard at thirty and wondering what they need to do next in life. The house is a mess and needs a lot of work but there is a small inheritance to help pay for Benny, the contractor and for materials needed. Lizzie is recovering from her third knee surgery, which is daunting for anyone but for a top notch soccer player, is possibly career ending. Elyse is upset that the man she loves is going to marry her sister, and Isobel, who was a child tv star, is wondering how she can get back to the big or little screen as she misses the limelight. Together, they work on the house and work on themselves. There are surprises in store. I thought it was a very good read and enjoyed it.
January 24, 2021
This book needed a few more drafts and a better editor. Someone to point out the holes, lack of depth, and to encourage the author to get what was in her brain on to the page.
My two biggest complaints - lack of set up. For example, Lizzie would be yelling and I'd think, wait, is she angry? What happened? Did I miss something? Then reread....nope, no setup. It never made it to the page.
Second complaint - lots of details that didn't gel. Like, a heated discussion that takes place on the first floor porch that is witnessed in the rooftop cupola? That kind of disconnect drives me bonkers.
Isobel's point of view almost saved this book. I started to like her and find her interesting at the end. The visit from her father was the most developed piece of writing and dialogue.
I feel like this book had some good bones, but it just misses the mark.
My two biggest complaints - lack of set up. For example, Lizzie would be yelling and I'd think, wait, is she angry? What happened? Did I miss something? Then reread....nope, no setup. It never made it to the page.
Second complaint - lots of details that didn't gel. Like, a heated discussion that takes place on the first floor porch that is witnessed in the rooftop cupola? That kind of disconnect drives me bonkers.
Isobel's point of view almost saved this book. I started to like her and find her interesting at the end. The visit from her father was the most developed piece of writing and dialogue.
I feel like this book had some good bones, but it just misses the mark.
July 8, 2018
What brings your family together? Meet the triplins, Elyse, Isabel, and Lizzie. These cousins are the same age, born in the same month, though Lizzie is a cousin by stepfather; thus, the pet name triplins. Santo has built this story around a condemned house left to Lizzie's family by her grandmother. Through difficult circumstances, the triplins find themselves living in and renovating this house. In the process, they will face their fears and attempt to rebuild their crumbling lives. (Included in this book are Reading Group Discussion Questions). Please enjoy Courtney Miller Santo's book and check out her other novel The Roots of the Olive Tree.
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